


You Will Be Welcome

by mayhem (zidle)



Series: Forged in Ice, Raised with Wolves [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clegane Keep, F/M, Moving In Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 19:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20605742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zidle/pseuds/mayhem
Summary: "Clegane Keep was not so bad, Sansa decided."





	You Will Be Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> Part 3 of my SanSan AU series. You should probably read the others first.

Clegane Keep was not so bad, Sansa decided. It was much smaller than Winterfell, of course, but there seemed to be plenty of space for those who lived and worked in the keep. The walls of stone were not in the best of shapes, left to the will of the weather, but it was nothing a good stonemason could not fix. The courtyard reminded her of Winterfell’s more than that of the Red Keep, with a ground of dirt rather than paving stones and smallfolk bustling around doing their duties. She thought she might not mind this place.

The door of her litter was pulled open by one of her husband’s men who offered his hand to ease her climb out. She had ridden in the carriage by herself into the keep, Arya insisting on riding as much as she could bear, which turned out to be the entirety of their weeks’ long journey. Sansa did not ride as well as her sister, so she had spent most days in the litter alone, reading or sewing. Her lord husband had been good to her so far in the few weeks of their marriage, if a bit easy to push to frustration and anger, and she did not wish to incur his ire by slowing their trip with her poor riding if it could be helped.

She was glad the journey was over and she would not have to spend all the hours of the day alone anymore. She would have duties as the lady of the keep now, and she would have her sister around. Though they had their differences, the only thing the Stark sisters had of their home in this strange new land was each other. Their lives had changed drastically in the year since they left Winterfell with their father, and being married to men they did not know or choose themselves forged a bond between them that had not existed before.

Sansa knew little of Gendry Waters, not having spoke to him at all in the capital or much during the times the host halted their journey to rest. But Arya had said he was alright, stupid but not awful. He was a few years older than Sansa, but he and Arya were still closer in age than Sansa and Sandor. Arya liked that Gendry was not some fancy lord and, beyond insisting on calling her “mi’lady,” that he did not treat her like a highborn lady. She was quite excited that he had promised to forge her other gifts to go with the skinny sword Jon had given her.

Sandor seemed to get along with the blacksmith boy, for all that she had seen of their interactions. And Sansa found her lord husband more amused by her sister than anything.

Sansa stood outside the litter and took in her surroundings. They were not greeted by a host of people, rather just an older man who waited outside the entrance of the keep. The smallfolk and soldiers continued in their tasks without stopping to nod or bow to their newly arrived lord, but Sansa did feel them shooting looks in her direction, attempting to get a glimpse of the newcomers. She kept a pleasant look on her face and smiled at anyone whose eyes caught hers. These were her people now.

Sandor dismounted his great courser—who he had taken great amusement in informing her was named for the Stranger, to which she had responded that she preferred the company of the less-fickle Old Gods—and collected her before approaching the older man. Arya and Gendry followed behind them. He clasped forearms with the man while Sansa stood slightly back to allow them to talk.

“Welcome home, my lord. I see your trip to the capital was eventful,” the man looked pointedly at Sansa, Arya and Gendry. “I received your letter and had rooms aired out and prepared as you requested. The smithy was not in the best of shapes, but with a little more work, it should do for the new blacksmith.”

Sandor nodded and reached back for Sansa. His left hand cupped her lower back and pulled her in front of the man. He had quickly developed a habit of touching her whenever he had an excuse. Getting her attention with a brush on her arm. Gathering her to where he wanted her to stand or follow with a hand on her back. Holding her hand while in a group and giving it a squeeze to remind her that he was there. Brushing her hair out of her face while they laid next to each other in a tent or an inn.

“This is Lady Sansa, my lady wife. Give her whatever she asks for and heed her orders.”

The shocked look on the man’s face made her believe that her husband must have left some details as to the identities of the new additions to the keep.

“O-of course, my lord,” he stuttered out after only a few moments of silence had stretched between the three of them.

“Ser Alyn’s serves as castellan and he’ll help ‘til you get used to your new role here.”

Sansa nodded to Ser Alyn, not stepping out of Sandor’s reach, “It is nice to meet you, ser.”

“And you, my lady.”

She waited for Sandor to say more, but he did not, so she took it upon herself to introduce the others. “My sister Arya and her husband Gendry have also joined us from Kings Landing, ser. Gendry will be the new blacksmith.”

Arya walked up to stand on Sansa’s other side at her introduction and Gendry followed. It was clear he was not used to the unspoken ceremony of highborn daily life, and though Arya detested much of it, she was at least learned in the practices. He would be following her lead for some time until he could get used to it all.

“My lady, my lord, welcome to Clegane Keep.”

Sansa winced even before her sister said anything.

“I’m not a lady and he’s certainly not a lord,” Arya refuted, hackles up and defensive like a challenged wolf.

“Pardon my sister, Ser Alyn, but Arya prefers to go without titles and is much more pleasant to converse with if you just call her by her name.”

Sansa buried a smile at the annoyance she could feel coming off of Arya in waves. If they had been alone, and mayhaps a few years younger, Sansa probably would have gotten a kick to the shins for her interference.

“I don’t believe honoring that request will be a problem, my lady.”

“And you have our thanks.”

“Shall I show you all to your new rooms?”

Sandor grunted, “You take those two,” he gestured to Arya and Gendry, “I’ll show Sansa myself.”

Alyn nodded, “If you’ll follow me, the servants will take your things later.”

Sansa watched the three of them disappear into the keep and she turned to look up at her husband.

“Are you glad to be home?”

He looked down at her, “It’s better than that stinking shithole of a city.”

She was getting more used to his crass language every day, and his accurate description of Kings Landing made her smile. 

“That it is.”

She placed her left hand on the middle of his torso, and with them both touching each other, it was almost an embrace. Sandor was at least two hands taller than her, and tucked into his side like she was, she felt absolutely tiny. Since her father had been killed, Sansa had never felt safer than when she was in Sandor’s arms, no matter how frightening his face and size seemed at first glance.

“Would you like to show me my new home?”

He cleared his throat and looked away from her and to the doors in front of them, “Aye, let’s get the little bird in her new nest.”

Before he could break their loose hold on each other, Sansa tapped him twice with the hand that rested just below his chest, and he looked back to her. She stood on her toes to bring her face closer to his, but there was still quite some distance between them. She paused there for a moment before raising an eyebrow when he did not move.

“I am not nearly tall enough to kiss you without your assistance, Sandor.”

His face twitched and Sansa saw him bury a smile before it could surface. It was an instinct of his, she knew, but one he had been slowly letting go of in the past weeks. She did not think it would be long until his smile would make appearances on his face outside of the times he laughed at bawdy jokes or someone else’s discomfort.

Sandor leaned down to close the distance and pressed his lips to hers. His beard had grown out in their travels and was longer and bushier than it had been when they kissed for the first time on their wedding night, but Sansa found she did not mind. Her hand traveled up his chest to rest on the side of his face, fingers brushing against the scarred skin that was both rough and smooth in a unique way she had never encountered before.

Their kiss was brief but the look in her husband’s eyes when they pulled apart promised more once they were alone. She smirked at him knowingly.

When Sansa took in her surroundings again, she noticed multiple people looking at her with various unreadable expressions on their faces. She supposed they would have to get used to the presence of a lady in the keep. Her parents had always been openly loving with each other, and Sansa wanted the same for her marriage. Someone showing affection toward him was new for Sandor as much as their union was for both of them, but that he had not turned away her kiss despite their public setting was a good sign.

“Come on, woman. Let’s see your rooms.”

“I hope they are not too far from your own,” she teased him quietly.

He growled and moved his hand from her back to her waist, pulling her so her side was pressed to his as they walked into the entryway, “If you’re not careful, I’ll throw you o’er my shoulder and carry you the whole way there.”

Her laugh echoed against the stone walls.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> Would you guys like to see a part to this series just about Arya and Gendry? They've just been background so far really, but I've got a couple ideas!! Also, comment with other SanSan parts you'd like to see.
> 
> I also just announced a fanfiction project I'm taking on, so read here (https://www.fanficed.com/post/let-s-write-a-fic-together) about what it entails and how you can get involved. Should be really fun!!
> 
> As always, you can find me on Twitter at @FANFICED.


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